Saturday, August 6th, 2016

8:00 a.m. Breakfast at Colby College

8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Visit student plots at Johnny's Selected Seeds where SOSS participants have 'live in the ground' breeding material to share and will present on their research. We will also learn about the plant breeding projects currently ongoing at Johnny's.

Johnny's Selected Seeds Tour

Join us for a pre-SOSS tour of Johnny's Selected Seeds in Winslow, ME! This is your chance to learn the ins and outs of a long established seed company. We will be touring seed production fields, talking with plant breeders, and seeing their warehouse and shipping facilities. Johnny's is only a few miles away from Colby College, where SOSS is being held this year.

SOSS 2016 officially begins with a catered dinner at Colby College. To set the tone and familiarize us, we have a panel of speakers from Maine who are involved in organic agriculture and seeds. We will be hearing from Will Bonsall of Scatterseed Project, Jim Gerritsen of Wood Prairie Farm, and Neil Lash of Medomak Valley High School's Heirloom Seed Project

A Science Cafe is a place for informal, jargon-free conversation between scientists and the general public. In our case, we’ll bring together SOSS plant breeding scientists and Madison’s community of gardeners, farmers, and curious eaters for a moderated Q&A about seeds, breeding, technology, and the future of our food system. Kids welcome!

Whether you’re a gardener looking to create your own varieties, a farmer interested in seed production, or a curious eater hoping to understand more about your food system, Organic Seed School is designed for you!